Joe Arrigo's 2012 Draft Series: OG Evaluations

The 2012 Offensive Guard class is a good one, that has a little bit of everything. Stanford’s Davis DeCastro is projected as the drafts best guard. Iowa’s Kelechi Osemele, Wisconsin’s Kevin Zeitler, Amini Silatolu from Midwestern State and Miami Ohio’s Brandon Brooks round out my projected Top 5.

My Top 5 Offensive Guards:

1. David DeCastro – Stanford – 6-4 – 316:

One of the top offensive guard prospects to enter the NFL in the past decade, David DeCastro is a complete prospect with an NFLready skillset needed to start for any team in the league immediately. A three-year starter at Stanford, DeCastro started the last 39- consecutive games at right guard for the Cardinal. A high-character player with top intangibles, David brings the type of work ethic and attitude that scouts look closely for in a leader; in addition, he’s a high football IQ player with the instincts and understanding of the game that coaches love. DeCastro owns a tall, lean frame with room to continue to grow and long enough arms (32 inches) for the position. As reliable of a pass protector as you’ll find in the country, DeCastro is sinks back into his pass set off the ball with good flexibility and takes on the defender with polished and refined technique; he plays with his knees bent, back arched, and arms extended on a consistent basis. He owns the lower body strength needed to consistently anchor at the point of attack while also owning elite upper body strength (34 reps on bench) needed to gain control and lock on off the snap before neutralizing the defender for the rest of the play with his very strong grip; his functional strength may be the best in the draft from any offensive lineman. David does a very good job of shuffling his feet, while churning his legs when locked on, showing the nimble feet and agility needed to mirror interior pass rushers. He’s not an outstanding athlete, however he owns more than enough athleticism to have a successful career. A dominant blocker in the run game who can be effective in nearly any running scheme at the next level, DeCastro is a polished player here who excels both as a drive blocker and working in space. As a drive blocker, he shows a consistent ability to come off the line with low pad level and come crashing down on the interior lineman to pave open a large hole in the run game; Stanford’s run game was the 18th best in the country this season and 17th best last season, with DeCastro being one of the biggest reasons why. He’s a mauler on the interior who delivers a strong punch at the point of attack to opposing defensive linemen while owning the strength needed to be a road grader at the next level. Where he is very underrated is with his light feet and mobility. A coordinated athlete on the move, David has displayed a unique ability to pull through on trap blocks and clear out the linebacker or tackle to clear a gaping hole for the ball carrier. He’s proven to be capable of being a lead blocker on nearly any run inside or out, and although he’s not the most fluid or flexible athlete, he has more than enough ability to break down and redirect in open space to take a moving target out of the play. David has little trouble sliding to the second level to take out the linebacker. He does a terrific job of continuing to move his feet through contact and has nearly perfected the ability to take on a defender in the run game before driving them backwards by churning his feet, combined with great technique. In short-yardage situations, he has power and strength needed to physically push a pile, one reason why Stanford had plenty of success running the ball on third-and-fourth downs, as well as around the goal line; the Cardinal ranked 17th in the country with 32 rushing touchdowns in 2011 and 12th in the country with 34 in 2010. DeCastro also plays with the of feisty, tenacious mean streak that I look closely for in an offensive lineman, offering the type of fiery mean streak needed to be a very good player in the NFL. Having started 39 games over the past three seasons at Stanford without missing a start, David proved to be a very durable player for the Cardinal and does not have any known injury concerns as he enters the next level. David DeCastro has the physical tools, instincts, intangibles, and polished technique needed to be a 10-15 year starter for the team that drafts him. He has elite potential in the NFL, and I think it’s a question of how many Pro Bowl’s he makes it to, not whether or not he will make it.